Blunkett looks for cash boost

With police in open revolt and public anxiety over street crime soaring, David Blunkett wants a major cash boost from the Chancellor for law and order.

Police numbers are at record levels but the Home Secretary wants to see the Met's strength eventually grow to match the New York Police Department, which has 42,000 officers compared with London's 26,500 though New York is a similar-sized city.

Major investment is needed for initiatives to combat street robbery. The Safer Streets scheme in London has put 300 traffic patrol police back on the beat and cut the rise in street crime from 33per cent to five per cent.

Plans to speed up court cases, cope with record prison numbers and step up supervision of offenders when they leave jail also require substantial funds. Reform of the asylum system is also planned, with more reception and detention centres as well as further hi-tech security controls at ports and airports.

Last year, Gordon Brown more than doubled the immigration budget from £260 million a year to £594million.

However, after providing an extra £1.6 billion a year for policing before the election, and now that David Blunkett is overseeing the fourth major overhaul of asylum in a decade, Mr Brown may feel the Home Office is not offering good value for the money it receives.

Against this background, the Home Office may well be disappointed by tomorrow's announcement and may have to wait until the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review in July for details of any substantial investment.